International Control Room Week: Meet Hayley, Control Room Operator

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is celebrating International Control Room Week and is showcasing the people who are the first line of support when you ring 999.

Hayley is one of the Control Room Operators at the Service and joined the team back in 2012.

The main part of the role is being the link between the public and operational firefighters.  This involves answering 999 calls, direct contact with other emergency services, updating incidents as they happen and using the mobilisation system to send resources across the County.

Nearly 12 years on, Hayley remembers why she joined the Service: “I was in commercial banking in London prior to joining. I'd had enough of the commute, the sales targets and the banking environment as a whole.

“I started looking elsewhere, and then my dad, who was working at the Service at the time, mentioned Control were recruiting and the rest is history!”

The Control Room is a very fast paced and dynamic environment. Hayley explains that this is what she enjoys the most:

“The best part of the job is that you can never predict how a typical shift is going to go. One minute you're taking a call to a car fire and the next you're giving fire survival advice to someone who is trapped in a burning building.”

The role is challenging, so being resilient and reassuring is important.

“We try our best to reassure and keep people safe over the phone, but some incidents stay with you, and you wonder about previous callers and how they're doing.

“Some people have never dialled 999 before so I always bear that in mind when talking to callers; be empathetic to what they may be experiencing, even though we can't see it first-hand.”

Working as Control Room Operator has developed Hayley’s skills in communication, especially being a good and empathetic listener.

“Working, in Control you become a better listener. We have to be, because people are relying on us in their time of need and they're depending on us to send the correct resources.”